This invention relates to a signal converter comprising a first reference terminal adapted to receive a first reference voltage and a first current mirror having a first input terminal adapted to receive a first input signal, having a first output terminal, and having a first common terminal coupled to the first reference terminal.
Such a signal converter can be used universally in integrated semiconductor circuits, particularly for converting an input current into an output current.
A known example of such a signal converter is a current mirror arrangement comprising an input transistor having a control electrode coupled to the first input terminal and a having a main current path coupled between the first input terminal and the first common terminal, and an output transistor having a control electrode coupled to the control electrode of the input transistor and having a main current path coupled between the first output terminal and the first common terminal. The first input signal can be applied to the known signal converter as an (input) voltage or an (input) current. When the first input signal is applied as an (input) voltage between the first input terminal and the common terminal, the (input) voltage generates an (input) current via the first input terminal and an (output) current via the first output terminal. When the first input signal is applied to the first input terminal as an (input) current, the (input) current generates an (input) voltage between the first input terminal and the first common terminal and the generated (input) voltage generates an (output) current via the first output terminal.
However, regardless of the first input signal (i.e. either an (input) voltage or an (input) current) the known signal converter generates a single (output) current via the first output terminal, which single (output) current depends proportionally on the first input signal.
A disadvantage of the known signal converter is that this signal converter is not capable of converting a single input signal into a differential output signal and a differential input signal into a differential output signal.